{{other uses|Wild Animals (disambiguation)}} {{Infobox album | name = Wild Animal | type = Studio | artist = Vanity | cover = Vanity - Wild Animal Vinyl LP cover.jpeg | alt = | released = {{Start date|1984|11|10}} | recorded = January–February, 1984 | studio = Allen Zentz Recording (Hollywood, California) | genre = {{hlist|R&B|pop|rock}} | length = {{duration|m=32|s=49}} | label = Motown | producer = {{hlist|Bill Wolfer<ref>https://www.allmusic.com/artist/bill-wolfer-mn0000080681/credits Wild Animal - Producers</ref>|Vanity}} | prev_title = | prev_year = 1982 | next_title = Skin on Skin | next_year = 1986 | misc = {{Singles | name = Wild Animal | type = studio | single1 = Pretty Mess | single1date = September 7, 1984 | single2 = Mechanical Emotion | single2date = November 26, 1984 | single3 = Samuelle | single3date = February 12, 1985 }} }} '''''Wild Animal''''' is the 1984 debut studio album by Canadian singer Vanity. Released by Motown Records in November 1984, the album yielded two hit singles on the US R&B Songs chart: "Pretty Mess" and "Mechanical Emotion". The album's third single, "Samuelle", scored minor radio play yet failed to chart on either Hot 100 or R&B singles.

== Critical reception == {{Music ratings | rev1 = AllMusic | rev1Score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref name="allmusic">{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/wild-animal-mw0000845072 |title=Wild Animal - Vanity|publisher=AllMusic|last=Henderson|first=Alex|accessdate=November 27, 2016}}</ref> | rev2 = ''The Village Voice'' | rev2Score = C−<ref name="Village">{{cite news|last=Christgau|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau|date=November 27, 1984|url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cgv11-84.php|title=Christgau's Consumer Guide|newspaper=The Village Voice|accessdate=November 27, 2016}}</ref> }}

In a contemporary review for ''The Village Voice'', Robert Christgau gave ''Wild Animal'' a "C−" and compared the record to ''Vanity 6'': "Where formerly she talked her way through bright, crisp, rocking high-end arrangements and kept the smut simple, here she 'sings' verbose, amelodic fantasies rendered even duller by a dim, bassy mix. And anyone who dreamed that she'd liberated herself from pornographic role-playing should get a load of the electric dildos, cum-stained frocks, and psychedelic sex slavery she flaunts as she strikes out on her own."<ref name="Village"/> AllMusic editor Alex Henderson was somewhat more enthusiastic in a retrospective review, giving the album three out of five stars while writing, "''Wild Animal'' is essentially an R&B album, but Vanity laces her R&B with big doses of rock and pop. Despite her obvious limitations as a vocalist, Wild Animal is a respectable solo debut. But the public refused to take Vanity seriously as a solo artist, and this album's unimpressive sales reflected that."<ref name="allmusic"/> The fourth track, "Strap On Robbie Baby", was notable for being on the Parents Music Resource Center's list of the "Filthy Fifteen" due to its sexual overtones.

== Track listing == All songs published by Jobete Music Co., Inc. & Wolftoons Music (ASCAP). All lyrics and melodies composed by Vanity. All music composed, performed, and arranged by Bill Wolfer, except <sup>†</sup> lyrics composed by Robert Bruce McCan (Vanity's former boyfriend at that time).<ref>{{cite web|last=Buchalter |first=Gail |url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20088910,00.html |title=Her Romance with Prince Hit the Rocks, but Vanity's Singing Career Is Going Grrr-Eat |publisher=People.com |date=1984-10-15 |accessdate=2011-10-26}}</ref>

{{Track listing | headline = Side 1 | title1 = Flippin' Out | note1 = featuring Ed Sanders | length1 = 5:00 | title2 = Pretty Mess | length2 = 3:44 | title3 = Samuelle | length3 = 4:14 | title4 = Strap On "Robbie Baby | writer4 = Robbie Bruce<sup>†</sup> | length4 = 4:12 }}

{{Track listing | headline = Side 2 | title5 = Wild Animal | length5 = 4:39 | title6 = Mechanical Emotion | note6 = featuring Morris Day | length6 = 5:05 | title7 = Crazy Maybe | note7 = featuring Julian Jackson | writer7 = {{hlist|Vanity|Bill Wolfer<sup>†</sup>}} | length7 = 5:00 }}

== Personnel == * Vanity – lead vocals, backing vocals, vocal arrangements * Bill Wolfer – keyboards, drum programming, synthesizers * David Williams – rhythm guitar on "Wild Animal" * Ed Sanders – recording, mixing, additional vocals on "Flippin' Out" * Robbie Bruce – male vocals on "Strap On 'Robbie Baby'" * Julian Jackson – male vocals on "Crazy Maybe" * Morris Day – male vocals on "Mechanical Emotion" ;Technical * Allen Zentz – mastering * Daniel Poulin – photography * The Buck – executive producer * Bill Wolfer – producer, arranger

== Charts ==

=== Weekly charts === {| class="wikitable" |- ! Chart (1984) ! Peak<br />position |- | US ''Billboard'' 200<ref>[http://www.billboard.com/artist/277736/vanity/chart?f=305 Vanity Billboard Chart history.] Retrieved January 5, 2015</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|62 |- | US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite web|url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p21236|pure_url=yes}}|title=''Wild Animal''|author= |publisher=Allmusic |accessdate=January 11, 2012}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|14 |}

* "Wild Animal" spent 25 weeks on the R&B Albums chart.<ref>{{cite web|url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=vanity|chart=all}} |title=Vanity Music News & Info |publisher=Billboard.com |date= |accessdate=2011-10-26}}</ref>

== Singles == {|class="wikitable" |- !Year !Title !width="40"|<small>US<br>Pop</small><ref name="Top Pop Singles 1955-2002">{{cite book|first= Joel|last= Whitburn|year= 2003|title= Top Pop Singles 1955-2002|edition= 10th|publisher= Record Research Inc.|location= Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin|isbn= 0-89820-155-1|page= [https://archive.org/details/joelwhitburnstop00whitbur/page/739 739]|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/joelwhitburnstop00whitbur/page/739}}</ref><ref name="Bubbling Under The Billboard Hot 100 1959-2004">{{cite book|first= Joel|last= Whitburn|year= 2005|title= Bubbling Under The Billboard Hot 100 1959-2004|edition= 2nd| publisher=Record Research Inc.|location= Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin|isbn= 0-89820-162-4|page=277}}</ref> !width="40"|<small>US<br>R&B</small> !width="40"|<small>US<br>Dance</small><ref name="allmusic1">[{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p21236|pure_url=yes}} ((( Vanity > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles )))]. allmusic (1959-01-04). Retrieved on 2010-08-18.</ref> |- |1984 |"Pretty Mess" | style="text-align:center;"|75 | style="text-align:center;"|15 | style="text-align:center;"|13 |- |1985 |"Mechanical Emotion" | style="text-align:center;"|107 | style="text-align:center;"|23 | style="text-align:center;"|&mdash; |}

== References == {{Reflist}}

{{Vanity (singer)}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Vanity (singer) albums Category:1984 debut albums Category:Motown albums Category:Obscenity controversies in music